Comparisons · Two kinds of barbecue
Bullet water smoker or 57 cm charcoal kettle
The upgrade question, asked by somebody who has already smoked something on a kettle and is deciding whether a dedicated smoker is worth the space.
What each one is
Bullet water smoker
The most forgiving way into long smoking, and the reason is a pan of water: while there is liquid in it, it stays near boiling and absorbs energy as it evaporates, steadying the chamber in a way a beginner does not have to hold with the vents. Two stacked grates give it far more capacity than its footprint suggests, and a full charcoal chamber will run most of a day.
57 cm charcoal kettle
The most common barbecue in the world, and more capable than its reputation: with the coals banked to one side it becomes a genuine indirect cooker, and with a small, well-managed fire it will hold low temperatures for hours.
What actually differs
| Aspect | Bullet water smoker | 57 cm charcoal kettle |
|---|---|---|
| Shape and how it works | Bullet smoker | Kettle |
| What heats it The energy source sets the ceiling temperature and how quickly the cooker answers a change. | Charcoal briquettes | Lump charcoal, Charcoal briquettes |
| What smokes it Separate from the heat, and deliberately so: one cooker in this catalogue draws its heat from the mains and its smoke from wood pellets. | Charcoal combustion, Oak chunks, Wood chips | Charcoal combustion, Wood chips, Oak chunks |
| Cooking surface | 47–57 cm | 57 cm |
| Direct heat | Not suitable | Designed for this |
| Indirect heat | Designed for this — Load the lower grate first when both are in use, and use the upper one when only one is needed. | Possible with the right setup — Coals to one or both sides with the food in the middle, lid on, and a drip pan under the food. |
| Two-zone fire | Not suitable | Possible with the right setup — Bank the coals to one side, leaving roughly half the grate with no fire beneath it. |
| Smoking | Designed for this — Fill the water pan to capacity before lighting, and check the level every three to four hours — a smoker that keeps climbing with the vents already shut is usually a dry pan. | Not modelled for this cooker |
| Low and slow | Designed for this — Expect to top the fire up on a cook longer than three or four hours, and to refill the water pan with hot water at the same time. | Possible with the right setup — Needs a fuel arrangement that burns progressively rather than all at once. |
| Foods the difference reaches These are the foods whose cooking profiles call for a heat configuration these two cookers support differently. For anything not on the list, the choice between them does not change how it is cooked. | whole chicken, chicken thigh, bone-in, chicken thigh, boneless, chicken breast, boneless, chicken breast, bone-in, chicken wings, chicken drumsticks, beef burger, rib eye steak, sirloin steak, picanha, whole, pork chop, pork shoulder, pork spareribs, baby back ribs, pork tenderloin, brisket, lamb leg steak, lamb loin chop, lamb burger, salmon fillet, halloumi, sausage, whole sweet pepper, corn on the cob, aubergine slices, courgette slices, asparagus spears, onion slices, whole onion, spring onions, button mushrooms, portobello mushroom, new potatoes, halved, sweet potato slices, cabbage wedges, cauliflower florets, halved tomatoes, green beans, halved romaine lettuce, whole trout, tuna steak, whole mackerel, whole sardines, whole sea bass, cod fillet, pizza, whole side of salmon | |
Which one, for what
Conditions rather than a verdict. Each line below is a thing one of them can do that the other cannot, or does without arrangement where the other needs it — taken from the what each cooker is documented as doing, rather than from a preference.
Bullet water smoker, if:
- You want indirect heat without arranging the fire for it every time.
- You want to cook with smoking, which the other cannot do.
- You want low and slow without arranging the fire for it every time.
57 cm charcoal kettle, if:
- You want to cook with direct heat, which the other cannot do.
- You want to cook with two-zone fire, which the other cannot do.